Florida A&M University (FAMU) graduate Sharon Joy Washington is among six fellows selected by Chevrolet and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) for the 2019 Discover the Unexpected (DTU) Journalism Fellowship this summer.
With the help of NNPA editors and reporters, the fellows from historically black colleges and universities will travel the country to discover and share positive, inspirational and relevant stories from African American communities during their eight-week summer internship. NNPA is a trade association of more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States.
A spring 2019 FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) graduate, Washington is from Takoma, Washington. During her journey, she will travel to Washington, D.C., where the Washington Informer is based, and to Chicago, home of the Chicago Crusader. She is a member of Team Young at Heart.
The other 2019 DTU Journalism Fellows are Tedarius Abrams of Bethune-Cookman University, Tyla Barnes of Hampton University, Elae Hill of North Carolina A&T University, Miana Massey of Howard University, and Emani Nichols of Morehouse College.
Washington and other DTU Fellows will each receive a $10,000 scholarship and a $5,000 stipend from Chevrolet. She and her fellow students will form two teams of three people, and each team will have access to an all- new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer during their reporting assignments.
The annual DTU program has awarded more than $330,000 in scholarships and stipends since 2015. The program started with a select number of schools and, based on the overwhelming response, the online submission process was opened to all HBCU students in their sophomore through senior years with an interest in journalism, communications, mass media or visual arts.
“Our partnership with the NNPA continues to provide a unique platform to connect with young and remarkable storytellers,” said Paul Edwards, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet Marketing in a statement.
NNPA President and CEO Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., said: “Having these young journalists in our newsrooms working side by side with our editors and writers is inspiring and we are committed to including young storytellers’ voices in our reporting.”
The DTU Fellowship takes place June 6-Aug. 1, 2019. DTU fellows will work with the Atlanta Voice, Chicago Crusader, Houston Forward Times and the Washington Informer.
The fellows’ journey began in Atlanta, where they participated in two days of journalism training with Chevrolet and NNPA leadership before they hit the road to begin their reporting assignments. Their stories will be featured on the NNPA website (www.nnpa.org/chevydtu) throughout the summer.
Learn more about the Discover the Unexpected Journalism Fellowship at www.nnpa.org/chevydtu.
